10 Refreshing Moments of 2015

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There’s no getting around the fact that 2015 was an intense and often difficult year. Yet out of that trauma many leaders and pioneers demanded a more just world. Overall there were plenty of triumphs and achievements to celebrate. We’ve gathered 10 moments that we believe embody the accomplishments of 2015–a year that pushed boundaries, broke barriers and brought us closer to a more just world.

Amandla Stenberg spoke out against cultural appropriation

In this viral YouTube video, Amandla Stenberg swiftly broke down how making black culture “cool” and “edgy” isn’t cultural exchange; it’s appropriation. We can’t wait to see what this next-gen thought leader does in 2016.

You know those speeches that make you cry because you just can’t contain all the good feels? Well, Viola Davis’ Emmy acceptance speech as the first black woman to win Leading Actress in a Drama Series is one of them. Watch it for yourself and bask in all the glory and magic that is Viola Davis.

#SayHerName changed the conversation

As the Black Lives Matter movement began to grow, there seemed to be a lack of accountability around the experiences and deaths of black women. The #SayHerName campaign changed this. While raising awareness of those black women’s lives that were tragically lost to police violence, it also changed the conversation around the intersectional effects of racial and gender injustice. And if you want more chilling details on many ways we lose black women to gun violence you can read Brittney Cooper in Salon.

Bree Newsome took down the confederate flag and was a total badass

After the heartless murders of nine black churchgoers in South Carolina, many were outraged that the Confederate flag was still flying outside of the South Carolina statehouse. In the midst of this controversy Bree Newsome decided to take matters into her own hands. In the most badass move, she scaled the poll, pulled down the flag, and made a historic statement on racism in our country.

Love won and the Supreme Court realized marriage is a human right

The same week the Confederate flag was pulled down, another incredible victory was won. Gay marriage was officially legalized across the United States. In a year that was filled with so much strife, this had to be one of the greatest weeks of 2015. And did we mention that it was women who got this amendment passed (5-4)? (Another reason why we clearly more of them in leadership positions…just sayin’.)

FRESH Speakers, Inc. is a next-generation speakers bureau, uniquely representing women and people of color--two groups historically left off the public stage. Our speakers range from business leaders to artists, scientists to athletes. They have given ground-breaking TED talks and written best-selling books, but, more importantly, their wisdom comes from real world, lived experiences. FRESH speakers routinely grace the world's biggest thought leadership stages, host nonprofit benefits, and keynote Fortune 100 corporate retreats, university lecture series, leading tech conferences, grassroots organizing convenings, and countless other venues, the world over.